Once notifications are made and the personnel is at a safe distance, if he/she must go near the area affected by the hazardous material, personal protective clothing and equipment should be worn.
The purpose of protective equipment is to reduce exposure to hazards when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or effective to reduce risks to acceptable levels.
According to the Emergency Response Guidebook, protective clothing and equipment is used in conjunction with assigned work clothing and work accessories and is designed to create a barrier against individual and workplace hazards. Examples of protective equipment are:
- Street clothing and work uniforms
- Structural fire-fighting protective clothing (bunker gear)
- Positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus
- Respirators (to include escape respirators)
- Chemical-protective clothing and equipment
The three major categories of protective clothing and equipment are:
- Respiratory Protection—including escape respirators, self-contained breathing apparatuses, and N95 masks
- Dermal Protection—including chemical protective clothing, rubber gloves, and rubber boots
- Other Specialties as Appropriate—including traditional fire-fighting gear; cryogenic suits, and bomb suits
